1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to user interfaces, and more particularly to techniques of improving the flexibility of splash screens.
2. Related Art
Computer application programs have often included a splash screen upon startup. Also known as a banner, the splash screen typically identifies the application program and provides other information to the user as the application loads from a the hard drive to computer memory. The splash screen may identify the name of the application including the version number and may contain other information such as a copyright notice. A splash screen may inform the user that the application is loading from memory and that the correct application is loading. The splash screen also may provide advertising for the product because it presents the name of the product to the user and may include attractive logos or graphics. Typically, the splash screen is presented to the user without user intervention, for example, for 15 seconds, and is removed without user intervention.
Many prior splash screens provide the same image each time the application program starts. Also, many prior splash screens are determined before the application is obtained by the user. Thus, a splash screen often involved old information with possibly outdated logos.